Chapter 49

Gathering the four-feathered twin heads, Aldis looked up at the sky as the sun began to set and headed towards the ruins near the capital.

This was once a fortress where a great lord, who had once flourished and rebelled against the royal family, made his last stand.

The identity of the monster known as the "Red Eater" that appeared in the fortress was unknown.

According to one theory, it was said to be a vengeful spirit born from the resentment of the great lord who died in the fortress with unfulfilled wishes.

Aldis walked alone into the scorched walls of the fortress.

Inside the room, which was blackened in many places, there was no longer any sign of furniture or decorations. Only green grass and vines grew abundantly.

"Is this place good enough?"

Aldis came to a spacious hall that seemed suitable for battle and took out a ripe apple from his bag, placing it on the floor.

The "Red Eater" is said to attack anything red without discrimination.

Conversely, if one does not carry anything red, one will not encounter it.

However, it was inevitable that the first military expedition team did not know this.

In the first expedition, the team leader, who wore a red cloak, was the first to fall victim.

The "Red Eater" is said to react to human blood as well, and if one is injured even slightly, they become a target.

During battle, one must not wear anything red and must not let their allies bleed, but this is not as easy as it sounds.

Even if it only reacts to the color red, it will counterattack when attacked.

If one bleeds from the counterattack, it will turn into a hellish scene.

Thus, the "Red Eater" has been targeted for extermination three times, and all three attempts have failed.

The last expedition was formed about twenty years ago.

Aldis heard a pattering sound as he stood away from the apple on the floor. It sounded like water splashing on the ground.

"It's here."

It came from the entrance of a passage that opened in one corner of the hall.

A red, woman-shaped object.

But it was certainly not human.

The red body was slightly translucent, like a red crystal sculpture in motion.

However, every time it stepped on the floor, it made a sound like water splashing in the hall.

"I can't tell what it is."

Aldis, unsure whether it was a solid, liquid, or soft jelly, watched as the "Red Eater" knelt and smashed the apple with its hands.

"Well, let's see what happens when I cut it."

With that, he threw his short sword.

The short sword reached the "Red Eater's" head in an instant and struck what would be the neck in a human.

A high-pitched metallic sound echoed through the hall.

"Harder than I thought?"

The blade of the short sword, which seemed to be about to sever the neck, broke at the base and fell to the floor.

The "Red Eater's" face turned towards Aldis.

Of course, just because it had a woman's shape did not mean it recognized objects with its face.

However, it was clear that it was aware of Aldis.

It seemed to understand that the short sword flying through the air was controlled by his will.

The "Red Eater" stood up and began to walk unsteadily towards Aldis.

"I need to reinforce it, or it might break again."

Aldis drew his broadsword and covered it with magic, which enveloped the sword in a faint light.

Aldis cast a fire spell, designating a point next to the "Red Eater."

The high-temperature violence swept through the "Red Eater" from right to left.

However, the "Red Eater" continued to walk slowly, showing no reaction to the fire and no signs of damage.

"Fire doesn't work, huh?"

He continued to attack with ice, water, rock, and wind spells, but none of them had any effect.

"Then, how about this?"

A strong light appeared in front of Aldis, and as it contracted into a small point, it was released as a concentrated beam of light.

The beam pierced the "Red Eater's" chest instantly.

"It seems to work, so—!"

Aldis altered the magic on his broadsword, adding the properties of light.

Aldis kicked off the ground.

Closing the distance in one step, he swung the broadsword horizontally before the "Red Eater" could react.

A sensation like cutting through water with a sword was transmitted to his hand.

Aldis, momentarily confused by the inexplicable sensation, watched as the "Red Eater's" head was severed from its body and fell to the floor.

The headless body of the "Red Eater" fell and spread out on the floor like a red liquid.

On one side, the head rolled with a thud, and on the other, the body of the "Red Eater" flowed like a liquid.

The two distinctly different outcomes of what was once a single entity.

Aldis's thoughts were in turmoil.

"What... is this?"

Feeling an inexplicable and eerie sensation, Aldis instinctively took a step back.

---

In the twilight of the capital Gran, the main street running through the center of the city was filled with an unusual buzz.

The cause was a black-haired, black-eyed boy walking slowly, drawing the attention of the crowd.

Apart from the violet bandana wrapped around his forehead, he had a plain face with no remarkable features.

His violet robe and demeanor would immediately reveal to fellow mercenaries that he was one of them.

Though he looked young, it was not uncommon for a boy his age to take the first step as a novice mercenary.

The only unusual thing was the object he carried on his shoulder.

The boy carried four animal heads on his shoulder.

Or rather, upon closer inspection, two of them were bird heads connected at the base.

However, anyone who noticed this would immediately realize that the size of these birds was far beyond the norm.

"Hey, isn't that... the head of the 'Four-Feathered'?"

"What? No way, that's impossible..."

"The white mane and two stripes... it's the 'Bell-Nearest.'"

"The red one might be the 'Red Eater'?"

"No, no, that's ridiculous! Why would the three great monsters of Gran, and their heads, be here!?"

"Did he kill them?"

"Don't be ridiculous, no kid could beat them."

"Then what are those heads for!?"

Various speculations flew around, and voices trying to dispel them echoed.

Ignoring the commotion around him, the boy walked proudly towards the pleasure district, displaying the monster heads on his shoulder.

The boy's name was Aldis.

From this day forward, his name, known as a user of sword magic, would resonate throughout the capital Gran.

Feeling the reactions of the people watching him from a distance, Aldis arrived at a tavern.

He stepped into the tavern, where people were gathering to end the day with a drink.

The tavern's server, noticing the arrival of a new customer, let out a scream.

The patrons, realizing Aldis's presence, fell silent.

In the unusual silence, Aldis walked through the tables, making his way forward.

"Hey, kid, bringing something like that into a drinking place is pretty tasteless, you know?"

A bearded man, who was drinking from a mug at a table Aldis passed, called out.

The "something" the man referred to was probably the monster heads Aldis carried on his shoulder.

Indeed, it was a breach of etiquette.

Even though the cut edges were burned to stop the bleeding, they were still animal heads.

It was not appropriate to bring them into a place that served food, especially a lively tavern.

Aldis was fully aware of this.

Under normal circumstances, he would not do such a thing.

But today, he did it because it was necessary.

"Sorry. I'll leave as soon as I'm done."

"What do you need to do?"

"I need to ask a man named Cesare something."

In the silent tavern, all eyes were on Cesare, who sat with a mix of discomfort, fear, and surprise.

Aldis walked to Cesare's table, gathered the attention of the entire tavern, and took a copper coin from his pocket. He flicked it with his finger and handed it to Cesare before speaking.

"Cesare, where do I take the heads of bounty monsters to claim the reward?"

Cesare, pale-faced, managed to speak.

"W-What? Those heads on your shoulder...?"

"Yes, the white one is the 'Bell-Nearest,' the twin bird heads are the 'Four-Feathered,' and the red woman's head is the 'Red Eater.'"

The tavern erupted in chaos upon hearing this.

"But... I only told you about this this morning... It hasn't even been a day yet."

"That's enough time, isn't it?"

Aldis smiled nonchalantly.

"Wh-What!?"

Cesare was speechless.

The kingdom of Naglas had formed military expeditions several times to eliminate these monsters, which had been a thorn in their side for decades.

Moreover, all three at once.

To defeat them all in a single day was beyond Cesare's comprehension.

"So? Where should I take them?"

Aldis smiled with a hint of menace.

Cesare's expression was bitter.

He must have realized that Aldis was deliberately asking him.

Aldis knew where to take the bounty heads.

But he brought the heads to show them to Cesare.

Cesare was an excellent informant.

He provided information that matched the price paid.

However, this was a business relationship, and whether he could be trusted as a person was questionable.

Since they were not bound by genuine trust, Aldis needed to demonstrate the benefits of being his ally and the dangers of being his enemy.

Cesare knew Aldis was strong, but only to the extent that he was "dangerous as an enemy."

Aldis wanted to change this perception from "dangerous as an enemy" to "unthinkable as an enemy," to show the risks of betraying or betraying him.

This was the reason he deliberately showed the heads to Cesare.

Cesare's bitter expression was a sign that he understood Aldis's intentions.

"You can take them to the guard post or the headquarters of the knights. You could have even approached the gatekeeper before entering the city."

Cesare's answer, tinged with a hint of resentment, was understandable.

"Got it, thanks."

Aldis thanked him and turned to leave the tavern.

"Hey, kid, are those really the heads of the three great monsters?"

The bearded man who had reprimanded Aldis earlier asked.

"Yes. I know you won't believe me, but you'll see in a few days."

The existence of the three great monsters had been a long-standing problem for the kingdom.

If they were eliminated, it would certainly be announced widely both inside and outside the kingdom.

"Hey, server!"

"Yes!"

"Use this to buy everyone a drink. It's an apology for causing a commotion."

Aldis stopped the server and handed her a bag of silver coins.

When the server opened the bag, she found enough silver coins to keep the entire tavern drinking all night.

"Th-This much!?"

The server's surprise quickly spread through the tavern, turning into cheers.

"Hey, kid! Is this really okay!?"

"Seriously! Free drinks today!?"

"Yay! Let's drink!"

The quiet atmosphere of a moment ago was replaced by the excited patrons.

Aldis, having confirmed the desired reaction, was about to leave when the bearded man called out to him.

"Hey, kid, what's your name?"

"Aldis."

"Got it, thanks for the drinks today."

The man smiled at Aldis and shouted to the entire tavern.

"Hey, everyone! Today's drinks are on the 'three great monster slayer' Aldis! Let's drink until the cellar is empty!"

With the cheers of the crowd behind him, Aldis headed towards the capital, now enveloped in the "pale sky" as the sun set.

2017/04/23 - Fixed odd line breaks.

2018/05/11 - Corrected "給士" to "給仕".

2019/05/02 - Corrected "覆い繁る" to "生い茂る".

2020/07/09 - Corrected "岩、風、電撃と" to "岩、風と".

*Thank you for the corrections.